Ammonium Dissociation for Swine and Dairy Cattle Manures

Min Liu, David Giard, Suzelle Barrington

China Institute of Nuclear Information and Economics, Beijing, China.
Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Consumaj Inc., Quebec, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2013.45A002                

Abstract

The dissociation of ammonium (NH₄⁺) into ammonia (NH₃) in wastewaters is a key factor governing atmospheric nitrogen volatilization. Relatively rich in total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN or NH₄⁺ plus NH₃), livestock manures are most susceptible to NH₃ volatilization, although indirect measurements report 5 times less NH₄⁺ dissociation as compared to theoretical values. The objective of this study was therefore to directly measure NH₄⁺ dissociation of two standard NH₄Cl solutions (1750 and 3500 mg TAN/L), and of swine and dairy cattle manures at various dilutions and temperatures using a ammonia selective electrode (hydrogen and silver-silver chloride electrode couple) at various pH and temperatures. All solutions demonstrated NH₄⁺ dissociation varying from theory, especially because of dissolved compounds such as atmospheric CO₂. At a neutral pH, ratios of theoretical to measured [NH₃-N] ranged from 1.5 to 3.5, with higher ratios corresponding to higher TAN levels. At a pH below 6, NH₃ volatilization was enhanced by the shift of HCO₃^- to H₂CO₃ and CO₂. With previous research projects reporting 5 times less NH₃ volatilization as compared to theory, the present indicates that dissociation activity account for half of this drop with gas diffusion accounting for the other half.

Keywords

Ammonium Dissociation; Manure; pH; Temperature

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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